Saints next for Waddock's new-look Wycombe

Wycombe Wanderers entertain Southampton on Tuesday in their 33rd league game of the season.

Despite a 10 point penalty imposed at the start of the season, the Saints are currently 12th in the table with 37 points from 29 games, while the Chairboys occupy 23rd spot with 27 points from 32 games.

Both sides come into Tuesday's game on the back of impressive results at the weekend.

The Chairboys continued their habit of doing well against teams in the top half of the table by beating in-form Millwall 1-0 at Adams Park to end the Lions' run of five consecutive wins.

The Saints topped that with a superb 2-0 win at Norwich City, becoming the first team to beat the leaders in a league game at Carrow Road since the opening day of the season.

Wycombe's victory was accompanied by only their third clean-sheet of the season and their first for fourteen games as manager Gary Waddock's recent revamp of the back-five began to bear fruit.

They may not have created many chances themselves on Saturday, but sometimes you don't have to if you're keeping them out at the other end, and long may that continue.

The Chairboys' new-look defence will have its work cut out to contain the Saints though. With 72 goals to their name in all competitions so far this season, the south coast side recently added 19 goal striker Lee Barnard to their ranks, where he joins 23 goal Rickie Lambert and 14 goal Adam Lallana to give Tuesday's visitors a formidable amount of firepower.

In the reverse fixture at St Mary's in December, Southampton gave Wycombe a torrid time down the flanks, particularly the right wing, and it will be interesting to see how well the Chairboys cope this time around. Neither of the Blues' left sided defenders, Craig Woodman and Chris Westwood, are particularly blessed with pace and it will require another energetic performance from the entire team if a repeat of Saturday's fine result is to be on the cards.

Waddock knows the energy-sapping Millwall game will have taken its toll on some of his players, telling wwfc.com: "The lads are shattered in the dressing room because they've given everything but we'll get them recovered. We may have to look at which bodies we have available and which ones are ready to run themselves into the ground again, but we'll be ready for it when it comes around."

Last Five league GamesSouthampton.....DDWDW - 9 pointsWycombe...........DWLDW - 8 points

Last Five League Games (Away)Southampton......LDDDW - 6 points

Last Five League Games (Home)Wycombe............LLLLW - 3 points

Previous Meetings

The two sides met for the first time earlier this season with Rickie Lambert's 41st minute goal winning it for the Saints.

2009/10 LG1: Southampton 1 Wycombe 0

The Man In The Middle

Tuesday's referee is Darren Deadman from Cambridgeshire who became a National List Referee in 2005. His last Wycombe game was the 3-2 defeat at Charlton Athletic on the opening day of the season. So far this campaign he's issued 68 yellow and 5 red cards in 26 games.